Open House: Shouldn’t the MC authorities be held accountable and responsible for bad roads?

MC needs to wake up from its slumber

The Municipal Corporation is responsible for the maintenance of roads, government buildings, parks, power, water supplies etc. It is unfortunate that some of the roads are not being maintained well. The monsoon has already hit the city and traffic is also on the rise. The civic body should have taken due care in time. Non-maintenance of roads can lead to accidents, especially for those travelling during late hours. The sooner the civic body wakes, the better it is for the city. A road map to undertake repairs every three years after regular inspections is needed.

NPS Sohal, Chandigarh

Hand over  roads to admn

Maintenance of roads is the responsibility of the Municipal Corporation and it's own survey has pointed out "very poor' conditions of roads. Our city was known for its smooth roads but the civic body has failed to maintain that image of City Beautiful. It is collecting taxes from residents and it is duty bound to maintain roads. If they are unable to maintain roads, they should be handed over to the Administration. Roads were well maintained under administration. When residents are paying lakhs of rupees as Road Tax, they have right to get good roads.

Harminder Singh, Chandigarh

Poor governance also to blame

The city councillors are not working in favour of the residents. We are reeling under poor governance. While the Municipal Corporation receives huge sums in the form of property taxes, paid parking fee, payment of community centres, apni sabzi mandi, road berm sellers income, garbage charges, water supply bills, there never seems to be enough to maintain basic amenities like roads.

Kirpal Singh, Chandigarh

Need to establish accountability

The administration and Municipal Corporation must be held accountable for the neglect of road maintenance. Certain roads have remained unrepaired for over five years, indicating a lack of prioritisation and ineffective governance. Lack of transparency and accountability: the absence of clear responsibility and timelines for road repairs has exacerbated the issue. Pinpointing responsibility and fixing it is crucial to prevent further deterioration.Possible solutions: the administration and CMC should prioritise road repairs and maintenance, focusing on the most critical areas. Establishing clear responsibilities, timelines, and progress tracking mechanisms can help ensure accountability and transparency in road maintenance.

Capt Amar Jeet, Kharar

Need to end political bickering

Most roads in City Beautiful are in a bad shape. They have not been recarpeted due to the shortage of funds, which has been created by the rift between administration and the Municipal Corporation. Political affiliation of administration and the civic body has forced the people of city to suffer. In such a situation, the Administration and civic body should forget about fetching award for best city. They must be made accountable for the lapses in recarpeting of city roads.

Wg Cdr JS Minhas (Retd.), Mohali

Temporary fixes can allay monsoon fears

The Municipal Corporation is responsible for providing access to civic amenities. Road repairs are a part of that responsibility. With the monsoon arriving, recarpeting may not be ideal but a few important measures can be undertaken. Damaged and leaking drains should be repaired, road gullies, manhole, sewage lines need to be cleaned. Flooding roads and cave-ins, potholes are death traps for commuters and only effective planning can steer us away from tragedy.

Charu Malhotra, Mohali

Repairs should be made time-bound

The deteriorating condition of internal roads in Chandigarh is a matter of serious concern. Many roads have not been carpeted or properly maintained for the past five years, leading to inconvenience, vehicle damage and increased risk of accidents for commuters. It is the duty of civic authorities to ensure safe and smooth roads as part of basic urban infrastructure. The residents, who pay taxes, deserve better. The Municipal Corporation must be held responsible for this lapse and should immediately initiate a time-bound plan to repair and upgrade these roads. Transparency, timely action and regular maintenance must become a priority.

Harinder Singh Bhalla, Chandigarh

Put other projects on hold to focus on roads

City Beautiful is no longer beautiful. The persistent digging has turned it into a a dust bowl and the condition of roads is pathetic. In Manimajra area, the 24x7 water supply project has become so prolonged and unnecessary. Digging started in January 2023 and till now neither we have water supply nor roads. Pavements, roads all are so bad and potholed that even small walk is very difficult. Recarpeting with pilling is necessary to make it walkable and livable. Instead of starting metro or fly over projects which will sacrifice trees they should concentrate on beautiful roads and pavements.

Monica Agarwal, Chandigarh

Should explore ways to generate funds

It is the laxity of Municipal Corporation not to pay heed towards city's shabby roads. The roads filled with potholes put commuters at a big risk of accidents. Potholes filled with water during the rains can also lead to accidents. The civic body cannot brush aside from its responsibility as residents are paying taxes. It also cannot make an excuse of fiscal crunch for bad roads. It is the duty of the civic body to generate funds and do recarpeting of roads to give commuters a safe, secure and hassle-free experience.

Abhilasha Gupta, Mohali

Arranging funds should be top priority

Chandigarh, the city beautiful also carries a Smart City tag. It is then highly deplorable that most city roads are is poor shape. Recarpetting is long overdue as authorities have been ignoring the maintenance and upkeep. It speaks volume of mismanaged execution by the Municipal Corporation. Hence, accountability needs to be fixed. The reasoning of paucity of funds, if genuine, must be addressed with the intervention of Administrator. Arranging adequate grants from the Centre should be among the top priorities.

SS Arora, Mohali

Stop the decline in civic standards

Chandigarh, India's first planned city post-independence, was crafted by Le Corbusier as a model of modern urban design. Known for its wide roads, lush greenery and organised layout, the city now faces a slow decline in its civic standards. Poor road maintenance, uneven surfaces, and delayed recarpeting mar its original ethos. The Municipal Corporation must be held accountable and take swift action. Citizens pay substantial property and other taxes; they deserve better infrastructure. Revenue must be effectively generated and utilised to restore the roads to the high standards envisioned at the city's inception.

Vijay Katyal, Panchkula

Cannot dodge civic responsibility

The Municipal Corporation's survey report is an eye opener on the poor condition of roads. The city's roads were planned on geometric pattern as all sector roads run parallel and perpendicular to each other. There is no doubt that traffic density has increased form auto rickshaws to four-wheelers, but MC cannot escape from their responsibilities of maintaining the roads and must be censured for poor upkeep of roads and action taken against them. At the same time sufficient funds should be allocated for road maintenance.

Col TBS Bedi, Mohali

No repair, no pay clause in contracts

Absolutely-accountability must ride shotgun on every road built with public money. Citizens must demand a Road Health Report Card be published quarterly, detailing repair timelines and maintenance budgets. Introduce a "No Repair, No Pay" clause in contracts-if roads decay before their lifecycle, contractors should face penalties, not applause. Launch a public dashboard mapping potholes, pending repairs, and completion status-let sunlight be the best disinfectant. Empower RWAs and ward committees with micro-grants for minor repairs and real-time feedback.

Gurpreet Kaur, Mohali

Penalise contractors for substandard work

To address the poor condition of roads, MC authorities should have strict oversight, with a public dashboard tracking road maintenance progress and timelines. Implement a citizen feedback app for real-time pothole reporting, ensuring swift action. Allocate a dedicated budget for recarpeting neglected roads within six months, prioritizing high-traffic zones. Introduce performance audits for MC officials, linking promotions to infrastructure outcomes. Penalise contractors for substandard work and enforce regular quality checks.

Sargunpreet Kaur, Mohali

Form panel to oversee repairs

Fixing accountability of bad roads is perhaps the first step towards establishing renewed and better public infrastructure. A special committee must be constituted to probe the laxity in road repairs in the last 5 years. The recarpeting of roads must be initiated immediately after the monsoon season concludes. Each road must be mapped after every 6 months and then recarpeted on a priority basis.

Saikrit Gulati, Chandigarh

Timely fixes can prevent major issues

The Municipal Corporation of Chandigarh is responsible for the damage to roads in Chandigarh. The civic body must develop a thorough plan for regular inspections, swift repairs and stringent quality control measures. Additionally, a transparent system for grievance addressal for road-related issues should be established. Regular maintenance and timely repairs are essential to prevent minor issues from escalating into major problems. Moreover, priority should be given to improving roadside drainage to avert waterlogging, as it significantly contributes to road damage.

Arshia Khajooria Hazarika, Mohali

Laxity from Officials a major problem

The UT administration must implement proactive measures and clear guidelines to contain the spread of emerging, low-severity Omicron subvariants. An immediate audit of critical healthcare infrastructure is essential, including oxygen plants, ICU bed capacity, essential medications and vaccine availability, across all hospitals to prepare for a potential surge in Covid cases. Hospitals should ensure that all emergency equipment, such as ventilators, BiPAP machines, oxygen concentrators, oxygen units, is fully functional and ready for use. Emphasis must be placed on prevention, early detection, and timely patient care.

Sqn Ldr Manjit Singh Johar (retd.), Chandigarh

Grants should be sought from centre

Paradoxically, road tax is collected by the administration while the Municipal Corporation bears the onus for upkeep of roads and so holding MC authorities alone accountable and responsible for bad roads would be unfair. It was only a matter of priorities in good old days under Chief Commissioner governance model, that roads in Chandigarh were comparable with best highways in the country. Chandigarh as a UT is the Centre's baby and the the Administrator should fetch from Centre liberal grants to restore its pristine glory.

Lalit Bharadwaj, Panchkula

Admn needs to ensure funds

Despite residents substantial revenue contributions, inadequate funding and substandard road repairs have left pothole-ridden roads unsafe, especially for elderly morning walkers navigating dimly lit areas obscured by tree branches. Had the administration allocated sufficient funds, the cash-strapped civic body could have ensured pothole-free roads before the prolonged monsoon. To enhance safety and commuting conditions, the administration must prioritise funding, enforce quality materials, ensure honest work, and fix accountability for effective road maintenance.

Col Balbir Singh Mathauda (retd), Chandigarh